Bodies
by Chloe-lookalikey-reborn
Summary: Clark Kent is dead, and Lois is hunting for his body. With the help of Jack and new recruit Charlie Price, she discovers more than she bargained for... and her and superman find they have alot to talk about.
1. Chapter 1

I dont own any of the characters from lois and clark blah blah.

Funny note, found this old story on my computer and didnt realise i had written it until near the end... and then was surprised i'd been enjoying it so much lol

Bodies

It had been a month since Clark Kent had died, and Superman was miserable. He still carried on with his job; saving people's lives. But he missed HIS life. His life with Perry, Jimmy, and Lois. Lois. God he missed her. On the brief occasions he did see her she had been pleasant. But something inside her was blank and cold towards him, as though she were angry with him. Maybe she blamed him for not saving Clark. If only she knew.

Clark now spent his free time helping out his parents in Smallville. He loved being home again, but only having his parents for company was lonely. He had been thinking for months now that he had to do something or he would go crazy. Clark got up from the sofa where he was sat and went to find his mom in the kitchen.

The radio was on playing a happy old number and Martha was humming along to it while washing the dishes. Martha had no reason to be unhappy; her son was alive, though she had to fake it whenever anyone else was around. Lois didn't have that luxury. Even if he tried to explain to her now, he knew what he had done was unforgivable.

'Mom,' he said gently.

She looked around at him with a wonderful smile on her face. 'What's wrong honey?'

'I need to talk to you,' he said, trying not to sound too intense.

Martha dropped what she was doing without a word and sat down at the kitchen table, gesturing for him to sit as well. She waited patiently for him to start.

'I...um... Don't get me wrong, I love helping out on the farm, and I love spending time with you and dad... but I um...' Clark sighed. 'I can't live like this anymore. I know there was nothing I could do to stop them shooting at me, I know it was out of my hands. I couldn't reveal the truth, it would put you and dad in danger. But I need my old life back. I need to be around my friends again.'

Martha simply watched him with her understanding face. She smiled with sympathy.

'Your father and I have talked about this as well. We know this isn't the most fun for you,' she admitted. 'I think we're just afraid.'

Clark frowned. What would they be afraid of?

'You'd have to think very carefully about a better disguise, you'd have to make sure no one realised Clark Kent hadn't been killed by that bullet, or your secret would be out, and all the pain everyone has been through would be for nothing,' she tried to explain. 'We just don't want you or anyone else to get hurt.'

'I think they already have mom,' Clark stated in a defeated manner. 'But maybe I could make this work.'

Martha could see the hope flicker on his face. She rarely saw him happy anymore. She took hold of his hand and a look of determination set on her features.

'Okay,' she said confidently, 'then let's get you a new identity.'

-----

Clark's heart paced at treble it's normal rate. He breathed in and out trying to calm down. He looked up at the Daily Planet logo in front of the building and was so happy to be home. But he new this was very risky. Clark and his parents had decided a pair of glasses wouldn't be good enough this time. Clark had managed to die his hair blond, purchased some rather convincing fake stubble, wore contacts, and, after some convincing from his mother that the make-up wasn't obvious, had lightened his skin. It was certainly going to take more time and care to change into superman from now on, but this identity wouldn't be as regular as Clark Kent. He just wanted to spend a little time around them.

Hopefully, because they hadn't spent so much time around Superman, it would be easier to disguise himself without the glasses than with them.

He stepped into the main lobby. He was only applying for a job as a researcher, hoping that most people wouldn't give him a second glance. However, Perry was interviewing him. It was his first big hurdle under his new disguise.

'I'm here to see Perry White,' he told the girl at the front desk, careful to lower his voice.

'It's right through there, sir, just take a seat and he'll be with you,' She said with a smile. 'I think he's having a little argument with Lois Lane, our star reporter. Between you and me, that woman get's away with murder.

At the sound of her name he felt faint. He forced a smile and quickly walked into the room, sinking into a chair before his knees gave way.

He trained his super hearing to find her voice.

'Well of course I don't want to print it; I just want you to give me a little more time. I am telling you Perry, there is a something there, she exclaimed in her usual determined way. Clark new she would get her time, but Perry wasn't one to give in without a fight.

'I know your hurting Lois, but you have to move on,' he said sympathetically.

'Perry,' she said, and from the sound of it, she was gritting her teeth. 'I don't know why no one else is interested in finding him, but I need to.'

'I don't want you getting involved with anything dangerous anymore,' Perry almost yelled. Clark's heart sank. This was not a conversation he wanted to hear. His guilt soared.

Lois swallowed and her heartbeat rose. 'This is my job Perry. It's my choice, just like it was Clark's. He wouldn't want us to stop just because it might me dangerous.'

Perry sighed. 'I can't talk about this right now Lois, I have an interview with a new researcher. Just do the story you where assigned.'

Perry left Lois standing in the newsroom. Clark stood as Perry entered his office. He extended his hand and Perry shook it. Clark let go quickly when he saw the frown of familiarity on the chief's face. 'Don't know. Don't know. Please don't know.' Perry looked up at him and smiled, shaking off whatever he was thinking.

'Sorry I took so long, my reporters are good, but they are a handful,' he admitted.

'That's absolutely fine My White, it's a pleasure to meet you,' Clark told him. He hoped the sound of his new voice wasn't too fake.

He handed Perry his faked resume. In his superman persona, he'd pulled a few strings. He'd never abused his power like that before, especially for selfish reasons, but he needed this job.

'This looks very promising Mr.?'

'Price. Charles Price.'

'Tell me, why do you want to work for the planet Mr Price?' Perry asked as a typical interview question.

'Because everyone I love is here. Because I have missed this place so much I would give anything to be back here again,' he thought.

'I truly believe that the Daily Planet is the greatest newspaper in the world, and I would love to be a part of it,' Clark revealed, only a half-truth.

Perry smiled. 'That's exactly the attitude I want from every person working here. I think your going to fit in just fine. Welcome to the planet son.'

Clark thanked him. He had heard those words once before, but then he had had no idea what his life would become. Maybe if he'd never joined the planet none of this would have happened. Lois wouldn't have had to hurt so much.

-----

Lois sat at her desk mulling over her argument with Perry. Why was it that every time they fought about Clark, people treated her like she needed professional help. I can't let it go that easily.

'Because they haven't found his body,' a niggling voice told her.

She couldn't let that go. All her resources, snitches, everybody she new had turned up nothing. For weeks she had been secretly working on this story of her own, and all she had come across was more unanswered questions. Why where Jonathon and Martha always so strange around her? Why hadn't Superman come when Clark was shot? He always came to her rescue, why didn't he come to his? And why hadn't he talked to her about it?

All her journalistic instincts told her that something was up. But no one else seemed to see it. They had been to the funeral, grieved and accepted his death. Why did no one else want to find his body, especially his parents? It was completely out of character.

Lois glanced into Perry's office. He was shaking hands with a tall blonde man. He was sort of attractive if you liked that kind of thing. Cat would have pounced on him that was for sure.

A new researcher. A smile flickered across her face. She would have to break him in. Each newbie had to experience first hand the horrors of working for Lois Lane. If they couldn't handle the heat, they got out of the kitchen. Six had been so scared they had left within the week, without even giving notice. Tomorrow morning, when he started his first day, he wouldn't know what hit him.

-----

The tall blonde man had run a few errands by the time Lois got in. She had been distracted by news on the radio that a bus had overturned and had gone to check it out. However, two much bigger stories on her mind as she headed towards her desk.

-----

He watched her sit down, clearly wrapped up in some story or another. He began to think this wasn't such a good idea. To be around her, see her and not be able to be close to her... it was almost worse than not seeing her at all. Almost. Caught up in his thoughts he almost missed her confident stride right up to him.

'Hi, I'm Lois Lane, are you busy?'

Clark was thrown off balance by the sudden contact. He quickly regained himself.

'No mam,' he replied.

'Oh I like that, keep calling me that and we might get along,' she teased.

'How can I help you?'

'I want you to go downstairs and find out everything you can on unidentified bodies with gunshot wounds in the last month. I need pictures, police reports and anything else you can get your hands on. Even a sighting of a body would be great. I'll be back in two hours and I want it done by then. I'm going to go and check out a car the police are holding, see if I can find anything the police can't,' and with that she started to leave.

'Miss Lane,' Clark called after her, still reeling from her babble. 'The police just let you look at evidence like that?'

Lois frowned for a second looking at him like he was stupid. Then she smiled, picked up her coat, and throwing it over her shoulder she mumbled, 'Rookies.'

Clark watched her leave falling in love with her all over again. Then he processed what she wanted. Unknown to her he could do all this research before she had even got in her car, but he thought he'd take it slow.

-------

Research was a painstaking process. Not because he couldn't find anything, but because there was so much. The Planet had computer programs that could find you just about anything. He hadn't really thought about what Lois was asking him to do, but while looking through the thousands of unidentified bodies and their pictures (which was not pleasant) he realised it might be to do with him. But there would be no body. She would never let it go. He knew her. When mad dog Lane got her teeth into a story she didn't let it go. The more he thought about it, the more he thought what he was doing was wrong. He should have told her the very night she thought he'd died, what the truth was. He had been a coward.

------

Lois headed towards the holding bay for police evidence. She tried not to catch anyone's attention. Detective Henderson stepped out from behind the car and Lois hid behind a wall. As she tried to peek out to see what was going on, someone grabbed her by the mouth and waist and dragged her into an office.

------

It had been two hours and a half and Clark was getting worried. Lois was too reckless. Anything could have happened. This feeling seemed so familiar. Waiting for Lois to get back to the office, and wondering whether she was okay.

Jimmy approached him, and he realised how silly he must look, having stood at her desk for a half hour.

'She's probably caught up with a story, I'd just leave the stuff on the desk,' he said kindly. 'I used to be her go to guy, but she doesn't feel comfortable involving me with her stories anymore. Said she doesn't need a partner. I'm Jimmy by the way,' he said, extending a hand.

Clark took it, 'Charlie,' he replied. 'I don't suppose you've heard from her. I thought this research was pretty important.'

'She get's distracted pretty easily Charlie. Don't take it too personally,' Jimmy assured him.

'I'm just worried,' Clark said, and then realising his mistake he said, 'I mean I heard about the reporter killed here recently, and I wouldn't want anything like that to happen again.'

Jimmy saddened. 'Yeah. Clark Kent was a good friend of mine. No one like him. No one.'

He walked away despondently.

Clark decided he was tired of waiting. He went outside, and now in Superman persona, went looking for her.

------

'Jack!' Lois exclaimed, 'What are you doing here?'

'Shhh!' He whispered,' Probably the same as you. That car Al Pacino's gang were driving. I'm going to check it out.'

'What are you even doing in metropolis, and why are you checking this out, and why did you drag me in here like this?' Lois splurted.

'Lois, I don't think Clark is dead,' he stated simply.

Lois breathed in deep, holding back tears. Finally, someone agreed with her.

'What makes you say that?' she said, trying to keep her cool.

'I know you have a lot of contacts Lois, but I know people you couldn't reach. I spoke to this guy who swears he saw a man thrown from a car, lay for a few seconds, get up, brush himself off, and then walk away. The car and the person fit the descriptions, and it was not too far from the club. I think there is something too this,' Jack told her.

'And you believe he is alive because of this one thing,' Lois asked sceptically.

Jack shifted uncomfortably. 'I just can't believe that Clark Kent could have died that way,' he said, giving her the abridged version. Back when the planet had been taken over by thugs a nd Clark had saved him from a bullet, he had had his suspicions. If he was right, then Clark was still alive. He couldn't understand why he hadn't told anyone. Maybe he was in some kind of trouble.

'Let's just do this,' she said.

Together, they sneaked into the room with the car in it. They went over every inch of the inside and out and couldn't find anything. The disappointment on both their faces was evident. However, they didn't have much time for it to sink in.

Lois heard a noise that shouldn't be there. She was good at picking those noises up now. She touched Jack on the shoulder and put her finger to her lips. Motioning for Jack to follow her, she crept towards the piles of tagged wheels on the far side of the room, and slipped in behind them. A few seconds later a familiar face entered the room. Nigel St John, holding a gun out in front of him, searched the room with his eyes. He had evidently been looking for someone. Hearing the noise of people heading towards the room, he ducked out again.

Lois was running a thousand thoughts in her mind while Jack stared after the strange man. Henderson and two other police officers stepped into the room and Lois unexpectedly stepped out from her hiding place to hail him.

'Bill,' she yelled.

He turned, only looking half surprised. 'Lois what are you doing here? This is a restricted area. Why do you keep doing this to me...'

But Lois wouldn't let him finish. Now that Nigel was in the picture, she might be able to convince people that something was going on.

-------

Superman was hovering over the building listening to Lois' explanation to Detective Henderson. Nigel was there? What did he have to do with any of this? But now he though about it, why did it never occur to him that maybe someone else had been involved. Doctor Hamilton, who'd created the technology of bringing the dead back to life, had been a genius, but he wasn't rich. Superman would have to have a talk with him.

Jack being here surprised him more. He didn't realise how much he had impacted the kid's life.

Clark decided to follow the direction Nigel had gone in, and see if he could spot him. When he was as confused as he was now, he found that just flying over the city gave his mind a clearer perspective. Besides, if he could find out where St John was staying, he might be able to catch him before he could do anything to anyone.

To his surprise, Nigel was wandering down a street in plain sight, as though not even a little afraid of being caught. The man's arrogance had reached illogical proportions. Clark set himself down in front of the man, who appeared startled, but smug.

'Superman,' he said, his thick British accent filled with malice, 'how nice to see you. And looking perfectly healthy.'

'You made a big mistake coming back to metropolis, Nigel. Your people don't hold the power anymore,' Superman told him.

Nigel smiled. 'Lex once told me that power came with one thing,' he said.

Superman went along with Nigel's game. 'And what is that?'

Nigel's eyes sparkled as he reached into his pocket. 'Kryptonite,' he growled, opening up a lead box.

Clark's reaction was instant. He tried to keep his balance, but the waves of pain swept through his boy and his vision blurred.

'You are so ignorant, Superman,' he heard Nigel say, through the haziness. 'If luck weren't on your side, Lex would have won this fight a long time ago.'

Clark feel to the ground hard as Nigel approached him, bringing the deadly rays closer. He groaned in pain, trying to gain control of his body, but every fibre in his being screamed.

'Very soon, he'll have another chance.' And with that, Nigel where gone. Clark sat up, leaning against a nearby car. He tried to calm the panic that had risen. Is that what this was about? Nigel was trying to bring Lex Luthor back to life. It was a nightmare.

---------

Lois was back at her desk again. It was midnight, but she couldn't stop now. A glimmer of hope had shone that maybe, just maybe, Clark was still alive. She hung on to that like her life depended on it. Jack sat at Clark's old desk opposite her. No one had had the heart to take it yet.

'What do you think is going on?' he asked her. They were both still shocked from the strange turn this had taken.

'I'm not sure. I guess Nigel must be interested in the gang. Let's check out a few things. God I wish someone from research was still here.'

Like an answer to her request, the elevator doors pinged open and the tall blond guy stepped out, looking around the newsroom. There was something really familiar about the way he moved. It was very strange, and something tapped at the back of her head to think harder. She pushed it away. She had to focus if she was going to find Clark.

'Hi Miss Lane,' the man said. 'I hope you got my research.'

'Yeah I did. Now I need more. I want you to find out if any of Al Pacino's gang have been visited, and by who. Then I need to find the whereabouts of Doctor Emil Hamilton. Okay?'

Clark new very well that anyone else would have complained. He just nodded. He wanted to help as much as he could, but it saddened him that he couldn't tell anyone what he knew. Not until they knew more. As he headed down the stairs he heard Lois saying to Jack, 'Well what are you waiting for. Go help him,' and the boy ran after him.

'Hey wait up, dude,' Jack said.

'Sorry, my head's somewhere else,' Clark confessed.

Jack looked at him suspiciously. 'What are you doing here so late anyway,' he asked.

'Oh, you know, I just want to make a good impression on my first day,' Clark replied feebly.

Jack didn't seem to buy it. 'Yeah, well you probably shouldn't work yourself too hard, you look like death already.'

-------

'Gretchen, I thought we established Lex would have that privilege,' Nigel stated in frustration. The woman was irrational and irritating.

'But to have him in your power like that and just let him go...?'

'We are sticking to the plan,' Nigel said firmly. 'Now go do your job. I know you don't like messy work, but if you don't kill that doctor, he'll lead them straight to us.'

-------

The blonde guy had found the doctor's whereabouts very quickly. Jack was still downstairs searching the prison records.

'I'm going to talk to him,' Lois declared, reaching for her coat.

'Are you sure you should do that alone? It could be dangerous,' Clark asked, a little too like his old self.

'Who else is going to do it? You? Besides, why do you even care?' Lois snapped. He knew she hated being protected but sometimes she needed it.

'Maybe Superman could go with you. I know you two are friends,' he suggested.

'I can't rely on him anymore. I have to do this myself,' she said, more to herself that to him.

The elevator doors slid open again. So many people appearing late at night, what was going on?

Lois watched as Dr Hamilton, pale and covered in blood, stumbled down the ramp towards her desk. She rose quickly and ran to his side, sitting him down and leaning him against a desk leg. The tall blonde guy had picked up a phone and was calling for an ambulance.

'Dr Hamilton, who did this?' Lois asked, distressed.

'They found me… they want to bring him back, they are going to bring him back…' he said slowly, between coughs and splutters.

'Who? Who are they going to bring back?' She asked him, trying to keep his head straight and his eyes open.

'Luthor,' he breathed. The doctor's head sagged in Lois' hands, and pulled quickly away as though touching something dangerous. She backed away from the body and rested her back against the wall. The tall blonde man was checking the doctor's pulse, but she knew he was gone. And now she knew why.

'Miss Lane,' the man said. 'Are you okay?'

'I need to sit down,' She whispered. She started to head towards her chair but instead threw up into her metal bin. The man came up behind her and put a hand on the small of her back. She gasped and turned to face him. No, it couldn't be. The man coughed.

'Sorry, I um… is there anything I can do?' he asked.

His voice was different, his eyes where the wrong colour, his skin was too pale and he was blonde. And yet she felt so strongly that he was Clark Kent. Maybe she was just too hopeful.

-------

Clark knew. She knew. What should he do? Tell her? Try and put her off the idea? They were on the floor next to Lois' desk just staring at each other. Someone had to say something.

'Hey guys,' Jack yelled, coming up the stairs.

Lois and Clark gathered themselves and stood up. 'What is it Jack?' Lois asked.

'Only one person visited Al Pacino in jail. A woman named Jill Burton. I checked her out. This is her address,' he said quickly, handing the paper to Lois. 'Is that guy dead?' He said, pointing to Hamilton.

Clark nodded. Lois looked away.

'Okay, so what's going on?'

'Nigel St John is trying to use Hamilton's technology to bring Lex Luthor back to life,' Lois stated plainly.

'Huh,' Jack said, still staring at the body. He caught himself, 'so we going to this address?'

'It's in suicide slum,' Lois noted.

'I think I should come with you,' Clark said, 'I mean I'm not sure what's going on, but the more of us there are the safer right?'

The three looked at each other. Lois' wanted him along because she needed to figure him out. They waited for the emergency services to arrive, and then left for suicide slum as quickly as they could.

-------

The slums had a particular smell that you couldn't put your finger on. Lois wrinkled her nose. The tall blonde man walked in the front, checking every corner. Suicide slums was the most dangerous place in metropolis. It's where Superman was busiest, and where the criminals made their deals. If Lex Luthor's body was hidden anywhere, it would be here.

'This is the place,' said Jack. It was a small one story building, brown with age and dirt.

'Maybe we should wait for back-up,' Clark said apprehensively. He knew St John had kryptonite, and even though he had no reason to use it against him in his disguise, who knows what could happen. 'We should have called Henderson.'

'It would take to long. Who knows how far they've got. Lex could be walking around already. And in case you don't remember, he has a little obsession with me,' she said. It was an accident, but she was curious to see her reaction.

Clark looked a little shell-shocked. 'I wouldn't know about that Miss Lane.'

The looked at each other for a long time. Lois was trying to tell if he was lying. Clark was trying to tell what she was thinking. Jack coughed.

'Are we doing this or what?' he asked, frustrated at the constant distractions. They needed to stop Luthor. He was a very dangerous man.

Lois was the first to move. She thrust the door open and wandered confidently inside. The others followed.

'It's empty!' she exclaimed.

Clark used his x-ray vision to scan the room. There was trap door in the far corner of the room.

'Just have a look around. Maybe we will find something,' he said, trying not to reveal he knew exactly what to look for. He casually wandered in the direction of the trap door and feigned surprise when he bent down to check it out. The others came over too him.

'How did you find that?' Lois asked suspiciously.

'Just luck I guess,' Clark said, lifting the door and climbing inside. The ladder lead down to the sewers.

To be continuted


	2. Chapter 2

He coughed a little as the smell hit his nose and throat. He heard the others agreements.

"That's s gross," he heard Jack exclaim.

"Just hold your breath," Clark said starting to climb down the ladder.

"How long can you hold your breath?" Jack muttered.

Lois followed the two of them soundlessly. She was still trying to figure out if she was going insane. She had almost completely convinced herself that this man was Clark just because he touched her back they way Clark did. It was frightening, and yet there was more than just that. It was all the little things that only a best friend notices. The little wrinkles, the choice of words, the way they walk. It couldn't just be grief making her see all these things could it?

They reached the bottom and trudged along, none of them happy about getting their clothes covered in sewer water. There was unnatural light coming from round a corner in the sewer system. Clark held his hand out in a warning fashion and slowed down, training his ears. He could hear no one, and therefore didn't stop them proceeding into what was some kind of operating room. They happily stepped up onto dry surface, surrounded by huge pipes and wheels. There was some electrical equipment and right at the back, a large door that was ajar. Jack rushed towards it, trying to get it open further.

'Hey, someone help me with this, it's heavy,' he grunted. Lois and Clark came forward slowly.

They pried it open far enough to squeeze in, making the door creek and whine. A strange blue light filled the room. It was a light coming from a tank.

'Oh, my god,' Lois gasped, a look of complete shock on her face.

'This is so screwed,' Jack commented, 'What should we do?'

Clark just stared up at Luthor's fully formed new body. This was a clone or copy or something of a man who had tried to kill him and keep Lois as a possession. The fear that he struck in Clark's heart was only surpassed by the fear of Lois herself, for she could hurt him a lot more.

So awe struck were they that they didn't notice Gretchen approaching, not very happy to see the intruders.

"You made a big mistake coming down here,' she said, announcing herself.

The three spun around in unison.

"Gretchen," Lois gasped, "What the hell have you done?"

"I have proven how much I love him by giving him life. You gave him death. You and that super git. Nigel objects to your murder. He thinks it will make Lex angry. But he won't even remember you when he realises everything I've done for him."

Clark was only half listening. His eyes were on the gun. He moved them only to see if there was any easy exit.

"Don't even think about it," Gretchen warned, obviously noticing what he was doing, "You've activated an alarm, and soon all the guards will be here with all their guns. Then I'll decide what I want to do with the rest of you after I've killed Miss L…Ahh"

Gretchen dropped the burning hot gun and held her hand in pain. She watched as the Blonde man pushed the other two towards a huge long pipe. The voices of the other guards began to fill the hall way behind her.

"This way," she called out.

Clark kept looking back. They would be right behind them soon. He hoped he'd picked well. He check again with his x-ray vision, which was difficult because parts of the tunnels were lead. Finally he managed to see were it ended. He pushed the other two in the direction.

"Where are you leading us," Lois questioned, not at all liking being pushed.

"Get ready to jump," Clark called out, grabbing their hands.

They didn't have time to complain before they reached the end of the tunnel and realised it was a dead end apart from the sea below. Jack let go of Clark's hand and just jumped, screaming in inappropriate pleasure. It was a long drop, but Jack's head popped back up and he swam to the surface. Clark watched with his magnifying vision as he seemed to head for a phone box.

The footsteps behind them were getting closer. Lois looked at Clark. The look in her eyes scared him. She seemed utterly terrified.

"Come on," he said softly, "I'll keep you safe."

She nodded, and they both jumped.

Lois came to the surface, head foggy and eyes blurry. The shock of the cold caused her to gasp in air and a little bit of water. She began to cough violently, struggling to stay above water.

An arm wrapped around her waist, and she kicked out at it in panick. Colliding with what must have been his leg, he didn't even flinch, but turned her around to face him. As she looked into the face, shivering with cold and streaming with tears, she didn't know how to feel.

Not only had the contacts and make up come off revealing a blonde Superman, but in those brown eyes she found her partner and best friend again. The disbelief at her own lack of observance in the past was what kept the emotional flood at bay as he swum them to the bay. Jack met them, helping them out of the water.

"The police are on the way, but I'd really like to get out of here," Jack said, pointing towards where the guards where pouring out, "Recon you can fly us somewhere safe Clark."

Clark looked back at him feeling completely exposed.

"Can we deal with the shock later please," he exclaimed, as bullets started to reach the area in front of them.

Clark picked up Jack with his free arm and flew off towards the Planet.

They had informed the police of their whereabouts straight away, and it wouldn't be long before they were called in to give statements. For now they had time to rest. Jack, after all his bravado, had conked out on the chief's couch. Clark had made some coffee and found some coats they could use for warmth. He thought about using his heat vision to warm her up, but wasn't sure if he should.

Lois hadn't said a word since they had gotten back. It was frightening him. She just looked pale and sad.

"I never should have come back," he sighed.

Lois looked at him with such anger and disgust that he actual stepped back a few paces.

"You never should have left me, you selfish cowardly piece of dirt," she screamed. Realising her outburst when Jack was sleeping, she said the rest through gritted teeth. "You knew what I was going through, and you didn't say anything. You just stood there listening to me asking you about your death and lied through your teeth in order to keep me believing it. Why? Why couldn't you just tell me who you were then. What would you have lost?"

Clark spoke very quietly. His mouth was dry and he felt sick, a totally new sensation without kryptonite.

"I was trying to figure out if there was another way of figuring this out. At first anyway. And then it just got too real, and there had been a funeral, and I was scared. Scared of this. I didn't want to hurt you."

"No you didn't want to get hurt. You hurt me a whole bunch. And not just because you died. Because you didn't trust me, even then. Wouldn't let me see who you really are." Lois was on the verge of tears.

"I don't trust anyone Lois. I can't. That's how I've had to live my life. I couldn't go around telling everyone I met that I was an alien. I'd have been dissected years ago," he exclaimed in frustration.

"So you think I would have turned you in. Written a big scoop? 'My Best Friend the Alien', now there's a headline. How could you even doubt my ethics that way? Especially not you. You're the only person that I ever let in."

"So are you," Clark replied.

"But you didn't. You kept this whole other side of your life from me. I didn't know you. I knew two characters you created. I supposed three if you include Charlie. You've got some serious personality issues Clark, you should get that seen too."

She'd gone into rant mode. He knew it, she knew it. He came closer to her and steadied her with his hands on her arms. She flinched and he tried to ignore the stabbing in his heart.

"Please look at me," he begged, and she stopped mumbling and looked at him reluctantly. "I know I've been cowardly and irrational and that you have every right to hate me forever. I let you think I was dead because I was too afraid that if you knew the truth, I wouldn't have your friendship anymore. That you'd look at me and see Superman, and treat me like him instead of me. I know it was selfish, but I would rather have had no life as Clark than to have you look at us both in that way."

"What way? With respect, love? I adored Superman," Lois spat.

"But you didn't adore Clark. So I had to conclude that your adoration for Superman was shallow. That it wasn't me you loved, it was the suit and the powers and the heroism. I didn't want that to be all you ever saw in me," Clark explained.

"You are so wrong. You have no idea how I felt for you," Lois yelled, pushing his hands off of her.

"How am I wrong? All Superman is is what I can do. Clark is who I am."

"And I loved Clark!"

The room fell silent as Clark absorbed the knowledge she had just released. Lois seemed shocked at herself,

"I mean, I was starting to think that maybe… But then you died and I haven't been able to think straight since."

Clark had been approaching her slowly. She seemed to fall very weak and just sat on the floor. He joined her and pushed the wet hair out of her face. She sniffled.

"I have only ever lied to you about two things. One is that I am Superman, and I will never have to lie about that again. You knowing is petrifying and I feel totally vulnerable, but I am so happy that I don't have to lie anymore."

He took a breath and looked into her eyes. "The second lie I told you is that I wasn't in love with you, that day outside the planet. I crossed my fingers and took it back. I'm not even sure why. It was just easier than facing the embarrassment of rejection. But since you know everything else about me now, I figure you should know that too. I am completely in love with you. I always have been. Ever since you came storming into Perry's office when I was first interviewing with him. I saw your tenacity, your cheek and charm, then way you just dive right in. And then later I saw your compassion and your kindness. I hate myself for every tear I made you shed, and I won't feel happiness again unless you forgive me for being so stupid."

And with that he recoiled, tucking his head into his legs like a child. Lois' mind span like a washing machine. 'You love him, go tell him, he's upset, comfort him, he hurt you, he lied, he was dead, he's back, be happy, be angry, hit him, kiss him…'

Her hands were tugging at his arms, to free his face before she'd even decided which of the options to choose. But one look into the soul behind those eyes and he body had decided for her. She was kissing him so gently, and he replied with the same. It wasn't about hormones, it was a gesture or forgiveness. He stared up at her, unsure of her meaning.

Lois regained herself. "Let's go make sure Lex has been taken care off. And then I have an idea of how we can bring back Clark Kent."


End file.
